Bliss
by Ms Kitten
Summary: My take on TVGuide's exclusive scoop for the season four premiere. Violet/Pete


Disclaimer: I do not own Private Practice or the characters within, they are creations of Shonda Rhimes and I am simply borrowing them for my own entertainment.

AN: This one-shot is based on the Violet/Pete-centered spoiler for the season four premiere that was released two weeks ago and the details within said spoiler. It'll be interesting to see how close I get to Shonda's own vision... Spoiler sources are the TVGuide exclusive and two pictures tweeted by Amy Brenneman.

AN2: I live for reviews, so whether you loved it or hated it, I want to know!

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The first time he says it, she blames it on the sex. The mindblowing, body numbing, earth shattering sex that has her sprawled on top of him afterwards, panting and unable to move even an inch. She feels one hand playing with her hair, the other slowly making its way down her glistening back. If she had the energy she would lift her head, instead she closes her eyes and enjoys the feeling of his skin against hers. Her head so far into the clouds, she's not even sure she's actually hearing him right, so she says nothing.

The second time it's late at night. She crawls into bed after checking on their son, who they heard crying ten minutes earlier. He's still awake when she snuggles up to him. He wraps his arms around her and asks her if everything's okay. It is.

"Just a nightmare," she assures him. "He's sleeping now."

Her eyes close and she feels his lips on her forehead. His voice is already fading into the distance when he says it, if he's even talking at all. Maybe she's dreaming...

Third time, there's no mistake about it. It's a beautiful summer day. Combined with a light schedule, they take the afternoon off and bring their son to the park. The child giggles gleefully as he crawls around in the soft grass. His tush pointing upwards, he moves around on his tiny hands and feet at a rapid speed. With some help from his mother, the boy is able to stand and walk across the grass. She looks up, grinning, to see if there's a camera pointed at the two of them, instead she sees him staring at her with an adoring smile.

"What?" she asks in a soft laugh.

"Marry me."

Her first instinct is to ask him if he's serious, but the way he's looking at her... She tries to tell herself he just got caught up in the moment, that he can't possibly have thought this through. At the same time, she wonders if his momentary lapse of sanity has caught on, because she really, really wants to say yes.

Within the week it takes them to put together the wedding, every single one at either practice has asked the same question: are they sure about this decision? Her resolve stays strong, but when she stands in her simple white gown, white flowers in her hair, overlooking the rose garden they've decorated for the occasion, her mind starts to wander.

She runs. A feat when the ground is this uneven and she's wearing heels. Finally, she finds a secluded spot and stops. Taking a deep breath, she peers out at the beautiful landscape below, miraculously unsullied by her rush order wedding further up the hill.

She wants to tell herself it's okay, because she never was the marrying kind of girl. She's never craved to stand in front of everyone she knows and spout some sugar coated promise to love one single person for the rest of her life. Marriage has always seemed like an odd institution to her, one accompanied by messy legal complications should the union turn out not to be for life. Her profession has also made sure to show her the many downfalls of marriage and relationships in general. She doesn't know when exactly it happened, but at some point her younger self even stopped believing in happiness.

That particular part, at least, has changed. She knows happiness, now. She knows bliss. It's his hand playing with her hair, it's his arm around her shoulder when they are together, it's their son looking up at her and calling her "mama". That is another important change in her life. Her son. The child she never thought she wanted, but now cannot imagine her life without. It took time, and it wasn't easy, but she's happy. Truly happy. In ways she could never imagine. So, what if she can't know what will come of it, if it'll last. That's what leaps of faith are for. She's learned that some chances are worth taking.

She could keep it to herself, but she doesn't. Secrets almost did them in in the past, and she wants this to start out right. She explains her fears, her worries. He takes it better than she expected. His hand caresses her cheek as he asks if it's too fast, if she'd rather postpone. She casts a glace at their son crawling through the grass, their friends franticly running after him and she shakes her head. She wants this, wants them to be a family.

Feminist to the core she keeps her last name, but in an act of compromise she tacks his behind hers, to use on legal forms. Professionally she prefers her own. She's been Dr. Turner for so long, it would be too weird to suddenly be a Wilder instead. They pick her house to live in. It has a bigger master bedroom, plus Charlotte's old bedroom makes a sizable room for Lucas to grow up in. There's also a third bedroom. Cooper has teasingly pointed out its potential as a nursery, but so far she's shrugged it off. She doesn't think she'll mind a second child, but it's not something she wants to plan for, at least not right away. Right now she wants to concentrate on being happy with what she has. Let the future decide what it has in store for her...


End file.
